Thank you everyone for you kind words of welcome back. I am not sure exactly how I am going to use the Blog this time around. For starters however, I thought I would share what I am grateful for today.

I have a very good friend who is dying as a direct result of his addiction to food. He landed in the emergency room over the weekend, unable to breath. Yesterday the cardiologist told him that if he did not change his life style (diet, exercise and use of a CPAP machine) he could very well die in the next few years. He told me this dire prediction and then followed with, "but doctors always tell you your going to die." He said, trying to laugh the whole thing off.

Am I crazy? Do doctors always tell people they are going to die in the next few years if they do not do this or that? My doctor did tell me if I did not lower my cholesterol through diet (lets hear it for fish oil and oatmeal) she would have to put me on Lipator. I assumed that somewhere down the line I would be risking death but, she never said anything about a few years.

I hate watching people die from their addictions. I hate being powerless to stop it. I especially hate watching people I love die from their addictions. In my eighteen years in the rooms I have done far, far too much of it.